I heard today from my good friend Teresa, who
is one of the most caring health professionals I
have ever met. Teresa is an RN and truly beloved
by her clients and co-workers alike. Over
the past few months, she had been complaining of
periodic chest pains; but, of course, didnít
want to give up a single day of helping her
patients to care for herself. It was only when
cornered by her co-workers, who said they would
bar her from the care facility if she didnít,
that she got checked by her doctor. The
cardiologist informed her that she had gotten to
him just in time. Everything is fine now and
Teresa will be back at work soon, but with a
much better idea of how she needs to learn to
care for herself as well as she cares for her
patients.

Maureen is a personal and professional
caregiver who manages a senior center. As soon
as she is off work, she immediately goes home
and cares for two elder relatives. Since she
knows so much about caregiving and cares so much
about all the people around her, she has also
become a constant advisor to friends, neighbors
and family members as they face their own
caregiving. Some of the best advice she
offers is to let the caregivers she talks with
know that they must take care of themselves with
rest, support and proper nutrition. Itís too bad
that Maureen does not heed her own advice. The
way she has been dealing with her stress over
these past few years starts with a nightly quart
of ice cream (or two).